There are different ideas as to what Doc's first name should be in humanized versions, but I'm choosing to be unoriginal and giving him the first name of 'Paul', after the actor who played him. I know some people prefer Jesse, so my compromise is that his full name is Paul Jesse Hudson. There we go, everyone's happy. :) This chapter is probably K+ for mentions of injuries sustained while being stupid.
Paul Jesse Hudson was ready for bed. He had closed his book, turned off the light, and just closed his eyes, when a loud knock sounded at the door. He growled and grabbed a sweater to throw over his t-shirt as he made his way through the kitchen. His feet felt cold on the floor.
"What?" he demanded as he jerked the door open. Mater took a nervous step back, fiddling with the cap in his hands. Doc's eyes narrowed.
"Um... Doc... Sorry to disturb ya..."
"Where are the others?" Doc demanded, glancing behind Mater. Lightning and his friends were supposed to be with the tow truck driver. Those five stuck together like glue whenever the hot rods visited and Doc didn't have to be a neurosurgeon to figure out the nature of Mater's appearance.
"Um... Well you see... That's the problem..." Mater started.
"Where are they?" Doc asked again.
"I think... Cal's in the fence... with Bobby..." Mater was hesitating. "And last I heard Lightning and Junio' were in a cactus patch."
No words could describe Doc's absolute fury at hearing that sentence so he didn't even bother to try. Instead he turned back into the house, leaving Mater standing there like a convict waiting for his sentence. When he came out again, he was dressed and had his medical bag with him.
"Drive," he ordered Mater, going towards the passenger side of the tow truck. Mater scurried to the other side to climb into the driver's seat.
He started the truck and the engine sputtered to life. Doc stayed quiet only long enough to see where they were going.
"Cow tipping again?" he ground out. "I thought Sheriff told you to stop it."
"Junior ain't never done it before," was Mater's weak excuse.
"Unbelievable," Doc murmured as they went off track. Part of him wanted to give Mater a tongue lashing right then and there, but he decided to wait... those stupid racers were going to need it more. Besides, he usually let Sheriff deal with Mater.
"None of them were unconscious were they?" Doc asked, just a little bit of worry starting to crawl into his mind.
"Not that I could see..." Mater admitted. The worry disappeared instantly. "Course, Cal didn't seem too happy in that fence."
"What state were they in exactly when you left?" Maybe Mater deserved a tongue lashing after all.
"Well... Um... Cal and Bobby were caught in some wires..." Mater started. "And Lightnin' and Junio', well, you see they made it further than the other two but I guess they must have slipped, cause they landed in the cactus patch... Right over there."
Mater stopped the truck and Doc climbed out. His feet crunched on the dirt as he observed the scene in silence. None of the racers dared say a word, the imposing figure of the Fabulous Hudson Hornet making them quiver just a little.
It didn't help that they were in the positions they were in.
From what Doc could see, all four of those morons had tried to dive through the barbed wire fence in their attempt to escape Frank. Cal's arm had gotten stuck, causing him to fall back against a post. There was a nasty cut right above his eye as he leaned against the pole, arm twisted uncomfortably above him. Bobby had fared no better and was lying on the ground with his ankle caught up in the sloppy wire.
Doc turned his intimidating gaze onto Junior and Lightning who looked like they'd rather be on trial for treason than under the veteran racer's gaze. They had rather miraculously made it through the wire, but in their excitement, or possibly fear, had taken a tumble down a small incline. A very small incline, Doc thought with annoyance. Lightning had managed to sit up somewhat, a cactus clinging to his trousers. Junior was on his back, unable to sit up as a cactus had fallen over and narrowly missed his face. One had fallen over his chest though. Doc had no idea how that happened.
"Hey... Doc," Lightning said nervously. The man didn't respond.
"Aren't ya... gonna help them?" Mater asked, after a pause.
"I'm thinking," was the reply.
"'Bout what?" Mater asked again.
"About which one of them is the most valuable."
He stepped over to Cal, simply because the cut above the kid's eye looked like the worst injury. He took out a pair of wire cutters and clipped the wire pinning Cal's arm in place.
"Have you all had tetanus shots?" He asked, 100% business and without an ounce of sympathy whatsoever.
"No, sir," Bobby said quietly as Doc took a bandage out of his bag and pressed it against Cal's eye. The doctor made a 'hmph' sound that somehow conveyed more disappointment than a letter detailing the reason for a disinheritance.
Doc had to give Cal credit for staying absolutely still as he unwound the wire from around the kid's arm and pulled the limb loose none too gently. He disinfected both wounds and wrapped them, pleased that they weren't deep enough to need stitches. The cut above Cal's eye just required a thick plaster.
"Stay right where you are," he told Cal before moving onto Bobby. First he cut the wire loose around the kid's ankle. Doc then reached into his bag and pulled out a needle. Bobby blanched, but Doc grabbed his arm. He pulled up the sleeve and swabbed the area above Bobby's vein, making it safe to insert the needle and finish the job quickly. He wasn't always gentle but he was always quick and efficient.
"Did any cows get out, Mater?" He asked the tow truck driver as he began unwinding the wire from Bobby's ankle.
"I think one did..." Mater sounded unsure.
"Did any?" Doc looked expectantly at Bobby.
"Yes sir," Bobby said quietly.
"Mater, go get her back. You know the man who lives here hates you messing with his cows."
"By myself?" Mater sounded hesitant.
"Yes," Doc growled out. "Leave the truck, and take a flashlight."
"Um... alright..." Mater took a flashlight from the truck and started down the fence line. "Here Bessie, Bessie, Bessie."
Doc finished with Bobby, frowning as his cut was deeper than Cal's.
"That's what you get for struggling," he muttered, wrapping the bandage tightly.
Bobby stayed quiet, clearly one of the few kids who knew when to keep his mouth shut. Doc stood up slowly and turned towards Lightning and Junior. He pulled off his medical gloves and slipped on a pair of thick work ones he had the sense to bring.
He made his way down the incline slowly and reached for Junior first. The racer yelped as Doc lifted the cactus off his chest.
"Get up," Doc ordered. "I'll pull those needles when we're out of here."
He kicked away the cactus over Junior's head and helped the racer scramble up the incline. Last and certainly least... McQueen. Doc barely spared the kid a glance as he ripped the pointy plant out of the hot rod's leg.
"Oww!" Lightning yelled. "That hurt!"
"If you had wanted a nurse, you should have sent for Sally," Doc replied as he hauled his racer up and shoved him up the incline. He followed and put his medical gloves back on. He did Junior first, pulling the needles out of the kid's chest one by one.
"You got any pain killers, Doc?" Lightning asked and he watched Doc disinfect his friend's chest before putting some big plasters over the small holes that were left.
"No," came the reply. "Left them on purpose."
Realization dawned on Lightning. This was their punishment. Strip made them stay up all night to find their wallets, Miller let them sleep in the cold, and Rod made them scrub his house from top to bottom. But Doc Hudson didn't have time to deal out punishments later. They were learning their lesson right now. Sure, sure, he was saving them, but he was making them pay the price in full.
"Yoww!" Lightning yelped as Doc pulled the first needle out of his leg. He received much the same treatment as Junior and when he was finished with them, Doc jerked off his gloves and threw them in the bag. He closed it with a snap and stood up.
"In the back," he ordered, going towards the tow truck.
He put his bag on the passenger seat and turned the key in the ignition, muttering a curse as the engine sputtered under his touch. Mater needed to get the timing belt replaced or it was going to snap.
Doc watched as Lighting and Cal helped the other two racers climb onto the back of the truck, trying to settle in the very limited space. Part of Doc just wanted to floor the truck and cause Lightning to fall out, but he didn't need to stitch the kid up again. The pain they were in right now was punishment enough... for all four of them.
He drove back towards town slowly, the bright neon lights doing nothing to lighten his mode. He stopped at the Cozy Cones and got out. Knowing the four racers in the back were the only residents, he slammed the door with a loud bang and reached through the open window for his bag in the passenger side.
The boys scrambled out of the back of the truck and stood in a line. They looked at Doc the same way puppies watched a cat who might strike out at them.
"Take it easy for two days," was all the man said. "And come by tomorrow to have those bandages changed."
He left the truck there and headed back towards his office, his tone of voice making the racers feel like they were personally responsible for every tragedy from California to Maine.
"Isn't he going to lecture us?" Cal asked in a whisper as Doc was out of earshot.
"No, I don't think so," Lightning replied.
"Wow... I'd rather be back in Vegas right now..." Bobby shook his head. "Never thought I'd wanna relive that car ride compared to something else."
"Almost like Rod..." Junior commented.
"Yea, except Roddy was just annoyed... Not really mad," Bobby said.
"He seemed completely furious," Junior turned to Lightning. "Think he'll be ok?"
"Yeah, sure," Lightning tried shrugging it off. "He's probably just tired. Let's go inside and call Sheriff... I think he should probably go after Mater."
Doc was indeed absolutely furious, just because he hadn't had to deal with such stupidity in ages. Just because he was a doctor, didn't mean he enjoyed being called on at night to haul punks out of fences and cactus patches. But looking back, he was grateful he hadn't said anything. Otherwise what would have happened to him would have been so much worse.